The St. Catherine University soccer team came in to its home opener looking to keep its two-game winning streak alive against a University of Wisconsin-Stout squad that had yet to seal a victory this season. Despite controlling the second half of the game, the Wildcats couldn't overcome a 1-0 deficit and suffered their first loss of 2015 to the Bule Devils Tuesday afternoon in St. Paul.
In the opening 45 minutes, the Blue Devils controlled a majority of play with a toal of seven shots and four on goal. The Blue Devils got on the board at 25:36 when Jenna Kizlik launched a shot from a few yards outside of the box that sailed from the right of Wildcat goalie
Danielle Mendez (Bloomington, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) to the upper corner on the opposite side of the net.
Late in the half, the Wildcats managed to push a few shots toward UW-Stout keeper Paige Meyer, but couldn't capitalize. The Wildcats' best opportunity in the opening half came at the 35:13 mark when Hannah Okerstrom (Bayport, Minn./Stillwater) drilled a shot just under the crossbar that Meyer managed to get a glove on before crossing the line. The second half saw the Wildcats take total control of play outshoting their opponent 7-1 and holding a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks. Early in the second,
Allie Boucher (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) had the Wildcats' best chance at a goal when she took a shot from the left of the box that Meyer had to leap across to stop.
The Wildcats' strong second half wasn't enough, though, in suffering their first loss of 2015. Mendez led the Wildcats in goal stopping three shots from the Blue Devils. Okerstrom led the Wildcat attack with four total shots and one on goal, while
Elly Leyva (San Jacinto, Calif./San Jacinto) had three shots and one on net.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 2-1 on the season. They return to action at home Saturday for a 1 p.m. non-conference contest against the Unviersity of Wisconsin-River Falls.
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